The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Two Signs of Approval Process Failure Finally to Proceed in Los Angeles
Neighborhood groups blocked the construction and completion of a Target-anchored retail complex and a 22-story residential high rise for years. Developers and the city have finally moved forward.

Chicago Ordinance Focuses on Equitable TOD
Transit-oriented development has ramped up in Chicago, but racial and economic inequities have come along with it. A proposed ordinance would expand TOD zones while also preventing displacement of residents.

These Streets Were Made for Walking
Many streets and cities are designed for vehicles instead of for pedestrians. But policies and programs in cities around the world, and even in the United States, might be signaling a shift in priorities.

Friday Funny: A Play About Elon Musk's Hubris, in Shakespearean Blank Verse
Looking for a way to forget about the Boring Company for a little while? You've come to the wrong place.

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Getting Into Grad School in Planning
Ten years ago I wrote "Graduate School 2008: Nuts and Bolts of Applying". As deadlines draw near for this year’s round of applications it is a good time to revisit and update this advice.

Bikeshare Programs Lack Accessible Options
City bikeshare programs are failing to provide equal access for disabled residents, the Times reports.

An East Coast Cap-and-Invest Approach to Reducing Transportation Emissions
Nine Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states and the District of Columbia have agreed to work together to develop a policy to price emissions from transportation, set a 'cap' on them, and invest the revenues in low carbon transportation solutions.

Crowdsourced Bus Startup Expands Service
The first company to determine bus routes by popular demand has found success in multiple states.

YourCoast App Will Make California's Public Beaches More Accessible
The app, developed by tech mogul Sean Parker (of Napster and Facebook fame), brings technology and environmental regulation together to give people the information they need to get to public beaches.

Rebuilding Paradise: Time to Consider Sewers
Paradise is the largest incorporated city west of the Mississippi River lacking a public sewer system. The town of of 27,000 relies on septic systems, now potentially damaged. Without sewers, multi-family housing construction becomes more difficult.

The Best Architecture of 2018 (From the Other Side of the Atlantic)
The Guardian's list of architecture's best in 2018.

Denver Train Problems Caused by Tall Buildings: RTD
The A and G Lines use GPS for their crossing gates, they claim that a new software patch and other improvements would resolve those issues and put the G line on schedule.

Gentrification Threat Spreading in Houston, Particularly on City’s East Side
A decrease in affordable housing, the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and demographic changes mean more of the city’s neighborhoods are facing gentrification challenges.

Opinion: Good Public Transit Is Crowded
Embrace the crowds.

Speed Limits Increase for New York Trains
Brooklyn N and R trains can now move at faster top speeds, but only when there aren’t stopped trains ahead.

West Hollywood Pilots Pop-Up Walkability Improvements
Six-month pilot projects along the Sunset Strip include a parklet and painted sidewalk extensions by a street artist.

Texas Has a Lot of Work to Do to Prepare for Future Hurricanes, Says Report
A new report outlines a long list of measures the state needs to take to prevent catastrophic outcomes. However, it avoids directly discussing climate change as a cause of increasingly severe natural disasters.

Zillow to Start Flipping Homes in California
Tech companies that use algorithms to make rapid offers on a large scale are growing players in the U.S. housing market.

Sweeping Building Moratorium Issued in Response to Potential Opportunity Zone Investments
From opportunity zone to 'opportunity-free zone.'

Early Reviews of Elon Musk's Boring Co. Tunnel
Take a tour of Elon Musk's idea for fixing Los Angeles congestion.
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